Yesterday’s 2-2 FA Cup draw with Swansea – following the tube strike that forced the Boxing Day clash with West Ham to be postponed – leaves the Gunners facing the fear of having to play five games in 13 days.

And that’s before the Champions League starts again with a tough battle against German giants Bayern Munich in February.

Wenger watched Danny Graham’s 87th-minute equaliser deny his side a third-round win and then admitted he will try to make signings during the transfer window.

He said: “If we find one or two in the transfer market, then why not? Let’s first keep the players we have got, and maybe then we can add because we have lost Marouane Chamakh and Johan Djourou now.”

Barcelona star Villa is top of the Gunners’ wanted list.

The Spanish giants would prefer to wait until the summer to sell and are demanding a massive £16m fee for the hotshot if he moved now.

But Wenger knows doing a deal now would strengthen his squad for the tough fixture list ahead.

Arsenal play Manchester City on Sunday 13th, then the replay with Swansea on the 16th, Chelsea four days later, then West Ham on the 23rd and – if they beat the Swans – at Brighton for the FA Cup fourth round on the 26th.